Help end South Korea's whaling before it starts

Last summer Korea shocked the international community by announcing it would start ‘scientific’ whaling. Surprised by the controversy, our government took a step back and told the media that they will consult with the various stakeholders such as fishing community, NGOs, and the concerned governments and make a decision whether to submit the scientific whaling proposal. The South Korean government also made it clear that if there are other means to achieve our research goals without killing whales, we could consider not going for scientific whaling.

So four months later, on a cold November day, I found myself walking into the government complex in Gwacheon, a short subway ride from Seoul, to join other Korean environmental groups at the consultation. There were lots of government departments - Fisheries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Government Legislation – but the key one was the Cetacean Research Institute, a body modeled on Japan’s Institute for Cetacean Research which seeks to bring commercial whaling here to South Korea.

In Korea hundreds of minke whales are killed every year and their meat is traded along the east coast, especially around Ulsan where the CRI has its headquarters at a former whaling harbour. Whale counts are incomplete but what information there is suggest that the minke whales, which are classified as protected, are declining 5 to 7 percent each year.

I explained how scientists all over the world study whales without killing them and gave details on various whales research programs. The man from the CRI didn’t answer my repeated question on why they would want to kill a protected species. He said they already did lots of non-lethal research but that the best way to see what whales have been eating is to cut them open.

Clearly Korea has not given up on ‘scientific’ whaling, otherwise I would not have had to go to this meeting. But there is still some hope. The CRI man said that they will assess which is better, lethal or non-lethal research, bearing in mind other issues. “Other issues” means political pressure.

The Fisheries Ministry’s representative at the meeting summed it up well: “We might go scientific whaling and we might not. We are listening to you before making any decision.”

The government will make its decision on Dec 3, less than a month from now. I believe they really care about international opinion. Please let them know that the world stands opposed to a resumption of commercial whaling by sending the Korean government a message here.

Jeonghee Han is an oceans campaigner based in Greenpeace East Asia’s Seoul office.

Whales are the top of the food chain in ocean, without them, the world will end up being non-livable for human-beings. This is a much bigger issue tha...

Whales are the top of the food chain in ocean, without them, the world will end up being non-livable for human-beings. This is a much bigger issue than my petition: http://wh.gov/XaJj let us fight against whaling together, and help me to promote my petition. Thanks.

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(Unregistered) Minky
says:

So I take it that all who have commented are vegetarians? You can't ask to stop killing one creature when you eat others. They are also killed i...

So I take it that all who have commented are vegetarians? You can't ask to stop killing one creature when you eat others. They are also killed in the same senseless way. On that note, is there not more that can be done to stop whaling. Governments from all over the world need to turn their backs on countries that do this which is impossible as each country is killing some animal in one way or another with their drilling in the ocean, excavating land, building houses and wiping out rainforests (have a look at labels from food to shampoo - there is a little piece of the ocean or a rainforest in there). It is so sad and you feel so useless and hopeless. Human beings are a cancer and should be wiped out

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(Unregistered) TrudyHUnt
says:

Protect our whales they are a vital part of our seas and truly magnificent creatures of beauty. Our planet is being sabotaged in so many ways, instead...

Protect our whales they are a vital part of our seas and truly magnificent creatures of beauty. Our planet is being sabotaged in so many ways, instead lets look to a happy healthy future where we live in harmony and go forward with conservation and tourism as a means to an end.

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(Unregistered) glendaharper
says:

LEAVE THE DOLPHINS ALONE!!!!! u have killed enough of them already, other people in the world also have rights and i think its high time that u sat up...

LEAVE THE DOLPHINS ALONE!!!!! u have killed enough of them already, other people in the world also have rights and i think its high time that u sat up and noticed us. We are not going to go away, so i suggest u do something and i suggest u do it soon to. People get sick of waiting and been nice.